Sailing through history
Book celebrates family’s contributions to ultra-luxury line Silversea Cruises
Last month, I travelled to New York for something different: a book launch. I don’t get invites to many book launches, but this one was different.
The book was celebrating Silversea Cruises (cruise.center/ silversea) chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d’ovidio, who, together with his late father Antonio, helped to shape the ultra-luxury cruise line into what it is today.
In attendance were other movers and shakers of industry, including Carnival’s Arnold Donald and Royal Caribbean’s Richard Fain. A handful of invited guests and dignitaries converged on the pretty Silver Wind at Manhattan’s Pier 90 for an evening of celebration, simultaneously promoting the release of Sailing Through History: A Family Dynasty and recognizing the contributions the Lefebvre family has had on the world of cruising since Silversea’s inception in 1994.
Silversea’s chairman has reason to be happy. Next year is poised to be a major one for the ultra-luxury line, as it welcomes two new oceangoing ships and kicks off its first-ever World Cruise to all seven continents, including a sojourn down to the Antarctic Peninsula.
Next summer, Silversea’s new flagship, Silver Moon, will debut in the Mediterranean. The followup to the line’s popular Silver Muse that first set sail in 2017, Silver Moon adds a number of unique enhancements, including the line’s first-ever S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) features, like the on-board S.A.L.T. Lab and culinary-themed excursions that highlight culturally relevant food and traditions in several ports of call.
Also making its debut next summer is Silver Origin, Silversea’s first purpose-built luxury expedition ship in the Galapagos. In a region not known for its new or luxury vessels, the 100-passenger Silver Origin will offer spacious suites and sweeping public areas. It will also offer a new innovation known as Base Camp — a multi-purpose learning and socializing area that also doubles as a staging area for Silversea’s inclusive expedition experiences ashore.
That’s in addition to a sweeping refit that was just completed for the line’s popular 388-guest Silver Shadow, and the plan to convert the 1995-built Silver Wind into a proper ice-strengthened expedition vessel in the fall of 2020.
There is more to come in 2021, as Silversea’s Silver Cloud sets out on the world’s first luxury expedition world cruise and takes delivery of the new Silver Dawn in the fall of that year.
Of course, that is in addition to the line’s existing fleet of luxury and luxury expedition ships, all of which offer butler service in every category of accommodation. I’ve been sailing with Silversea for more than a decade now, and the thing that always speaks to me is the feeling of family on-board. Guests and crew keep in touch and remember each other though numerous years may have passed.
There is a conviviality on-board that speaks to the bygone days of cruising, all of which is enhanced by simply not having to worry about anything. There is no need to go out and drop that Stephen King novel on a deck chair by the pool; it will be there waiting when you need it. Drinks appear as if by magic, complimentary and delivered with a smile. Enrichment and entertainment options abound. It’s as close as you can get to owning your own luxury yacht.
Antonio Lefebvre would be proud. His son, Manfredi, spoke of his father’s wish to have a fleet of 12 ships in the Silversea fleet. Thanks to Royal Caribbean’s recent acquisition of Silversea — and the dedication of the entire management team at the company — it would seem that dream is about to come true.
Happy cruising.